This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Let the madness continue! Friday's NCAA Tournament action includes the only one-seed still left in the bracket as we'll find out the last four teams to make it to the Elite Eight. It's another day with big contests in DFS, with DraftKings featuring their $16 Round Of 16 Contest with a $20k top payout, while FanDuel has the $9 All-American with $5,000 to first.
Top Players
Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue ($8,200 DK, $7,700 FD)
As good as Ivey has been all season, he's elevated his game over the past two weeks, averaging 19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 49 percent shooting since the start of the Big Ten Tournament. It's unlikely a matchup against the weakest team left in the tournament will slow the future lottery pick down, and he should have a chance to be the highest scoring player as long as the game doesn't turn into a blowout to lower his minutes.
Brady Manek, F, UNC ($7,100 DK, $8,300 FD)
Manek is a prime target on DraftKings tonight, coming in at a $1,200 discount compared to his FanDuel pricing. Before a questionable ejection midway through the second half against Baylor, he had 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting and has scored at least 30 fantasy points in seven of the last eight games. Manek is a matchup problem for defenses with his 6-9, 230 pound frame and ability to score in the paint (61 percent from two) while averaging 2.4 threes made per game.
Middle Tier
Isaiah Wong, G, Miami Florida ($6,600 DK, $7,600 FD)
Wong will likely be a popular play on DraftKings due to his relatively soft price tag coming off back-to-back 20-point scoring performances against a pair of tough opponents in USC and Auburn. Tonight he'll get a match up against arguably the best defensive team still remaining, but Iowa State's strength is defending the perimeter, and Wong has done most of his scoring driving to the basket. He's likely to see at least 35 minutes as well as long as he stays out of foul trouble.
Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA ($6,300 DK, $6,600 FD)
While Jaime Jaquez is expected to start after exiting the Bruins' second-round win with an ankle injury, he won't be 100 percent and that should lead to Juzang playing a bigger role tonight. We know what he's capable of doing in the NCAA Tournament after posting three 27+ point scoring games during UCLA's Final Four run last year, and he's fourth on the slate in shot percentage at 29.1 percent. UNC hasn't exactly been a defensive juggernaut this season, either, as this game should get into the 70s.
Values
A.J. Reeves, G/F, Providence ($4,900 DK, $5,000 FD)
Reeves played a big role in Providence's win Sunday over Richmond, leading the team with a 31 percent usage rate, and has been one of the team's main scoring options when he's on the floor. He's been used primarily as a three-point specialist where he's shooting 38 percent this season, and Kansas did just allow Creighton to make 12 threes on 43 percent shooting. It's an opportunity for him to see an uptick in minutes as well after the Friars mostly cruised into the Sweet 16.
Gabe Kalscheur, G, Iowa St. ($4,800 DK, $4,800 FD)
Kalscheur doesn't get much of a bump in price despite coming off a 22-point performance against Wisconsin in which he was the clear go-to option with 19 shot attempts. Of the value options on the slate, Kalscheur is attractive, having logged at least 30 minutes in three straight games while playing a significant role on a Cyclones roster that includes a lot of role players. It's also a great matchup against a Miami squad that ranks last in defensive efficiency of the teams still left in the tournament.
